Determinants of the Willingness to Use Microtransit Services: Case Studies from Mexico and Colombia

Microtransit, or app-based collective transport, is a passenger transport service typically offered in medium-capacity vehicles using mobile phone apps. This service provides the advantages of public transport, allowing for more efficient use of vehicles, offering new opportunities to improve informal transit systems and reduce urban inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean. This research examines how the level of service attributes, socioeconomic characteristics, and latent constructs (technological affinity, environmental attitudes, and security concerns in public transport) influence the willingness to use these services through two case studies in Mexico City, Mexico, and Barranquilla, Colombia. Data for this study comes from stated preference and perception surveys, which are commonly used in a psychometric and econometric approach to estimate integrated choice and latent variable models. The results indicate a high sensitivity to the price of the service. Attributes such as walking distance to access the service, travel time, service frequency, and schedule adherence reliability were also significant. There are substantial income differences in willingness to use microtransit services. Fare sensitivity is much higher among poorer segments of the population, affecting the potential of microtransit to address equity and inclusion issues in the cities studied. Of the latent constructs, only safety concerns about public transport were significant in the willingness to use microtransit services in both cities. When compared to men, women reported higher safety concerns and, as result, women have higher preference for microtransit services. Considering the results obtained from the modelling, sevearl policy considerations and actions are suggested to encourage the use of microtransit in the region and take advantage of its potential as a sustainable transport mode.